Kinds of Water Forms

Rivers

A river is a long, flowing body of freshwater that empties into a sea or a bay. In the Philippines, examples are Cagayan River in Cagayan, Pasig River in Manila, and Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in Palawan. The PPUR has been named one of the world’s new seven wonders of nature and declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Water hyacinth or water lilies commonly grow in rivers, as do algae and mosses along riverbanks.

Lakes

A lake is a body of still water that is surrounded by land and that does not flow out to a river, bay, or sea. Examples are Laguna Lake, locally known as Laguna de Bay, Lanao Lake in Lanao del Sur, Lake Buhi in Camarines Sur, and Taal Lake in Batangas.

Taal Lake is a lake within the Taal volcano’s crater. Taal Lake is known for its several varieties of milkfish, carps, maliputo, and tawilis. Among the aquatic plants found in the lake are algae and water hyacinth.

Other aquatic animals found in lakes are dalag, hito, tilapia, and freshwater crabs. Lakes are excellent places for freshwater fish because they are not affected by the movement of water such as tides.